Category: Leviticus

The Law of Burnt Offerings

1 The Lordcalled to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying,

2 “Speak to thechildren of Israel and say to them, ‘When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of [domestic] animals from the herd (cattle, oxen) or from the flock (sheep, goats).

3 If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting so that he may be accepted before the Lord.

4 He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering [transferring symbolically his guilt to the sacrifice], that it may beaccepted for him to make atonement on his behalf.

5 He shall kill the young bull before the Lord; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

6 Then he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.

7 The sons of Aaron the [high] priest shall put fire on the altar [of burnt offering] and arrange wood on the fire.

8 Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head and the fat, on the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar.

9 But he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water. The priest shall offer all of it up in smoke on the altar as a burnt offering. It is an offering by fire, a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord.

10 ‘But if his offering is from the flock, of the sheep or of the goats, as a burnt offering, he shall offer a male without blemish.

11 He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

12 He shall cut it into pieces, with its head and its fat, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar.

13 But he shall wash the entrails and legs with water. The priest shall offer all of it, and offer it up in smoke on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord.

14 ‘But if his offering to the Lordis a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring turtledoves or young pigeons as his offering.

15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head, and offer it up in smoke on the altar; and its blood is to be drained out on the side of the altar.

16 He shall remove itscrop with its feathers and throw it next to the east side of the altar, in the place for ashes.

17 Then he shall tear it open by its wings, but shall not sever it. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord.

The Law of Grain Offerings

1 ‘Whenanyone presents a grain offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour [olive] oil over it and put frankincense on it.

2 He shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. Out of it he shall take a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall offer this up in smoke on the altar [of burnt offering] as the memorial portion of it. It is an offering by fire, a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord.

3 What is left of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings to the Lordby fire.

4 ‘When you bring an offering of grain baked in the oven, it shall beunleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers spread with oil.

5 If your offering is grain baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine unleavened flour, mixed with oil.

6 You are to break it into pieces, and you shall pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.

7 Now if your offering is grain cooked in a lidded pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.

8 When you bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the Lord, it shall be presented to the priest, and he shall bring it to the altar [of burnt offering].

9 The priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar. It is an offering by fire, a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord.

10 What is left of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings to the Lordby fire.

11 ‘No grain offering that you bring to the Lordshall be made with leaven, for you shall not offer up in smoke any leaven [which symbolizes the spread of sin] or any honey [which, like leaven, is subject to fermentation] in any offering by fire to the Lord.

12 As an offering of first fruits you may offer them [leaven and honey] to the Lord, but they shall not go up [in smoke] on the altar as a sweetandsoothing aroma.

13 You shall season every grain offering with salt so that the salt (preservation) of the covenant of your God will not be missing from your grain offering. You shall offer salt with all your offerings.

14 ‘If you bring a grain offering of early ripened things to the Lord, you shall bring fresh heads of grain roasted in the fire, crushed grain of new growth, for the grain offering of your early ripened things.

15 You shall put oil on it and lay incense on it; it is a grain offering.

16 The priest shall offer up in smoke its memorial portion, part of the crushed grain and part of its oil with all its incense; it is an offering by fire to the Lord.

The Law of Peace Offerings

1 ‘If a man’s offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings, if he offers an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord.

2 He shall lay his hand on the head of his offering [transferring symbolically his guilt to the sacrifice] and kill it at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood around on the altar.

3 From the sacrifice of the peace offerings, an offering by fire to the Lord, he shall present the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat which is on the entrails,

4 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and thelobe of the liver which he shall remove with the kidneys.

5 Aaron’s sons shall offer it up in smoke on the altar [placing it] on the burnt offering which is on the wood that is on the fire. It is an offering by fire, a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord.

6 If his peace offering to the Lordis an animal from the flock, male or female, he shall offer the animal without blemish.

7 If he offers a lamb as his offering, then he shall present it before the Lord,

8 and he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it before the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

9 From the sacrifice of peace offerings he shall bring as an offering by fire to the Lord, its fat, the entire fat tail which he shall remove close to the backbone, and the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat which is on the entrails,

10 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys.

11 The priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar as food, an offering by fire to the Lord.

12 ‘If his offering is a goat, he shall present it before the Lord,

13 and he shall lay his hand on its head [transferring symbolically his guilt to the sacrifice], and kill it before the Tent of Meeting; and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

14 Then he shall present from it as his offering, an offering by fire to the Lord: the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat that is on the entrails,

15 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver which he shall remove with the kidneys.

16 The priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar as food. It is an offering by fire, a sweetandsoothing aroma; all the fat is the Lord’s.

17 It is a permanent statute for your generations wherever you may be, that you shall not eat any fat or any blood.’ ”

The Law of Sin Offerings

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Speak to the children of Israel, ‘If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the Lordhas commanded not to be done, and commits any of them—

3 if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer to the Lorda young bull without blemish as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.

4 He shall bring the bull to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting before the Lord, and shall lay his hand on the bull’s head [transferring symbolically his guilt to the sacrifice] and kill the bull before the Lord.

5 Then the anointed priest is to take some of the bull’s blood and bring it into the Tent of Meeting;

6 and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lordin front of the veil (curtain) of the sanctuary.

7 The priest shall also put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense which is before the Lordin the Tent of Meeting. All therest of theblood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of the burnt offering which is at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

8 He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat which is on the entrails,

9 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys

10 (just as these are removed from the ox of the sacrifice of peace offerings), and the priest is to offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering.

11 But the hide of the bull and all its meat, with its head, its legs, its entrails, and its refuse,

12 that is,all the rest ofthe bull, he is to bring outside the camp to a clean place where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on a fire of wood. Where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.

13 ‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they have done any one of the things which the Lordhas commanded not to be done, and they become guilty;

14 when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the congregation shall offer a young bull of the herd as a sin offering and bring it before the Tent of Meeting.

15 Then the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord[to transfer symbolically the congregation’s guilt to the sacrifice], and they shall kill the bull before the Lord.

16 The anointed priest is to bring some of the bull’s blood to the Tent of Meeting,

17 and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil [which screens off the Holy of Holies and the ark of the covenant].

18 He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar [of incense] which is before the Lordin the Tent of Meeting; and he shall pour out allthe rest ofthe blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

19 He shall remove all its fat from the bull and offer it up in smoke on the altar.

20 He shall also do with the bull just as he did with the bull of the sin offering; that is what he shall do with this. So the priest shall make atonement for [the sin of] the people, and they will be forgiven.

21 Then the priest is to bring the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the congregation.

22 ‘When a rulerorleader sins and unintentionally does any one of the things the Lordhis God has commanded not to be done, and he becomes guilty,

23 if his sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring a goat, a male without blemish as his offering.

24 He shall lay his hand on the head of the male goat [transferring symbolically his guilt to the sacrifice], and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord; it is a sin offering.

25 Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; andthe rest ofits blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering.

26 And he shall offer all its fat up in smoke on the altar like the fat from the sacrifice of peace offerings; so the priest shall make atonement for him in regard to his sin, and he will be forgiven.

27 ‘If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing any of the things the Lordhas commanded not to be done, and becomes guilty,

28 if his sin which he has committed is made known to him, then he shall bring a goat, a female without blemish as his offering for the sin which he has committed.

29 He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering [transferring symbolically his guilt to the sacrifice], and kill it at the place of the burnt offering.

30 The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and shall pour out allthe rest ofits blood at the base of the altar.

31 Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat was removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar as a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord. In this way the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.

32 ‘If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish.

33 He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering [transferring symbolically his guilt to the sacrifice], and kill it as a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.

34 The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and allthe rest ofthe blood of the lamb he shall pour out at the base of the altar.

35 Then he shall remove all its fat, just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offerings, and the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar, on the offerings by fire to the Lord. In this way the priest shall make atonement for him in regard to the sin which he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

The Law of Guilt Offerings

1 ‘If anyone sins after he hears apublic adjuration (solemn command to testify) when he is a witness, whether he has seen or [otherwise] known [something]—if he fails to report it, then he will bear his guiltandbe held responsible.

2 Or if someone touches any [ceremonially] unclean thing—whether the carcass of an unclean wild animal or the carcass of an unclean domestic animal or the carcass of unclean creeping things—even if he is unaware of it, he has become unclean, and he will be guilty.

3 Or if he touches human uncleanness—whatever kind it may be—and he becomes unclean, but he is unaware of it, when he recognizes it, he will be guilty.

4 Or if anyone swears [an oath] thoughtlesslyorimpulsivelyaloud that he will do either evil or good, in whatever manner a person may speak thoughtlesslyorimpulsively with an oath, but he is unaware of it, when he recognizes it, he will be guilty in one of these.

5 So it shall be when a person is guilty in one of these, that he shall confess the sin he has committed.

6 He shall bring his guilt offering to the Lordfor the sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin.

7 ‘But if hecannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons as his guilt offering for his sin to the Lord, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering.

8 He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin offering, and shall nip its head at the front of its neck, but shall not sever it [completely].

9 He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar; it is a sin offering.

10 The second [bird] he shall prepare as a burnt offering, according to the ordinance. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for the sin which he has committed, and it will be forgiven him.

11 ‘But if he cannot afford to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for his sin the tenth part of anephah of fine flour as a sin offering; he shall not put [olive] oil or incense on it, for it is a sin offering.

12 He shall bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings by fire to the Lord; it is a sin offering.

13 In this way the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed in one of these things, and it will be forgiven him; thenthe restshall be for the priest, like the grain offering.’ ”

14 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

15 “If a person commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally against the holy things of the Lord, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord, a ram without blemish from the flock, valued by you in shekels of silver, that is, the shekel of the sanctuary, as a guilt offering.

16 He shall make restitution for the sin which he has committed against the holy thing, and shall add a fifth [of the ram’s value] to it, and give it to the priest. The priest shall then make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.

17 “Now if anyone sins and does any of the things which the Lordhas forbidden, though he was not aware of it, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.

18 He is then to bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, according to your valuation, for a guilt offering. In this way the priest shall make atonement for him regarding the error which he committed unintentionally and did not know it, and he shall be forgiven.

19 It is a guilt offering; he was certainly guilty before the Lord.”

Guilt Offerings

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “When anyone sins and acts unfaithfully against the Lordby deceiving his neighbor (companion, associate) in regard to a deposit or a security entrustedto him, or through robbery, or if he has extorted from his neighbor,

3 or has found what was lost and lied about it and sworn falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one of the things a man may do—

4 then if he has sinned and is guilty, he shall restore what he took by robbery, or what he got by extortion, or the deposit which was entrusted to him, or the lost thing which he found,

5 or anything about which he has sworn falsely; he shall not only restore it in full, but shall add to it one-fifth more. He shall give it to the one to whom it belongs on the day of his guilt offering.

6 Then he shall bring to the priest his guilt offering to the Lord, a ram without blemish from the flock, as valued by you, as a guilt offering.

7 The priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord, and he will be forgiven for any one of the things which he may have done to incur guilt.”

The Priest’s Part in the Offerings

8 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the burnt offering: the burnt offeringshall remainon the hearththat ison the altar all night until morning and the fire is to be kept burning on the altar.

10 The priest is to put on his linen robe, with his linen undergarments next to his body. Then he shall take up the ashes of the burnt offering which the fire has consumed on the altar and put them beside the altar.

11 Then he shall take off his garments and put on something else, and take the ashes outside the camp to a (ceremonially) clean place.

12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning; it shall not [be allowed to] go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and offer the fat portions of the peace offerings up in smoke on it.

13 The fire shall be burning continually on the altar; it shall not [be allowed to] go out.

14 ‘Now this is the law of the grain offering: the sons of Aaron shall present it before the Lordin front of the altar.

15 One of them shall take up from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering with its oil and all the incense that is on the grain offering, and he shall offer it up in smoke on the altar, a sweetandsoothing aroma, as the memorial offering to the Lord.

16 What is left of it Aaron and his sons are to eat. It shall be eaten as unleavened bread in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.

17 It shall not be baked with leaven [which represents corruption or sin]. I have given it as their share of My offerings by fire; it ismost holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering.

18 Every male among the sons of Aaron may eat it [as his share]; it is a permanent ordinance throughout your generations, from offerings by fire to the Lord.Whatever touches them will become consecrated (ceremonially clean).’ ”

19 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

20 “This is the offering which Aaron and his sons are to present to the Lordon the day when he is anointed: the tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half of it in the evening.

21 It shall be prepared with oil on a griddle. When it is well stirred, you shall bring it. You shall present the grain offering in baked pieces as a sweetandsoothing aroma to the Lord.

22 The priest from among the sons of Aaron who is anointed in his place shall offer it. By a permanent statute it shall be entirely offered up in smoke to the Lord.

23 So every grain offering of the priest shall be burned entirely. It shall not be eaten.”

24 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

25 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the sin offering: the sin offering shall be killed before the Lordin the [same] place where the burnt offering is killed; it is most holy.

26 The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. It shall be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.

27 Whatever touches its meat will become consecrated (ceremonially clean). When any of its blood splashes on a garment, you shall wash what was splashed on in a holy place.

28 Also the earthenware vessel in which it was boiled shall be broken; and if it was boiled in a bronze vessel, then that vessel shall be scoured and rinsed in water.

29 Every male among the priests may eat this offering; it is most holy.

30 But no sin offering from which any of the blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place shall be eaten; it shall be [completely] burned in the fire.

The Priest’s Part in the Offerings

1 ‘This is the law of the guilt offering; it is most holy.

2 In the place where they kill the burnt offering they are to kill the guilt offering, and he shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar.

3 Then he shall offer all its fat, the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails,

4 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove with the kidneys.

5 The priest shall offer them up in smoke on the altar as an offering by fire to the Lord; it is a guilt offering.

6 Every male among the priests may eat it; it shall be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy.

7 The guilt offering is like the sin offering, there is one law for [both of] them: the priest who makes atonement with it shall have it for himself.

8 The priest who presents any man’s burnt offering shall have for himself the hide of the burnt offering which he has presented.

9 Likewise, every grain offering that is baked in the oven and everything that is prepared in a pan or on a griddle shall belong to the priest who presents it.

10 Every grain offering, mixed with [olive] oil or dry, all the sons of Aaron may have, one as well as another.

11 ‘Now this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which shall be presented to the Lord:

12 If one offers it as asacrificial meal ofthanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of fine flour mixed with oil.

13 With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving, he shall present his offering with cakes of leavened bread.

14 Of this he shall present one [cake] from each offering as a contribution to the Lord; it shall belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings.

15 ‘The meat of the sacrifice of thanksgiving presented as a peace offering shall be eaten on the day that it is offered; none of it shall be left until morning.

16 But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day that which remains of it may be eaten;

17 but what is left over from the meat of the sacrifice on the third day shall be [completely] burned in the fire.

18 If any of the meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is ever eaten on the third day, then it will not be accepted, and the one who brought it will not be credited with it. It shall be an abhorred (offensive) thing; the one who eats it shall bear his own guilt.

19 ‘The meat that comes in contact with anything that is unclean shall not be eaten; it shall be burned in the fire. As for other meat, everyone who is [ceremonially] clean may eat it.

20 But the one who eats meat from the sacrifice of peace offerings which belong to the Lord, in his uncleanness, that person shall becut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].

21 When anyone touches any unclean thing—human uncleanness, or an unclean animal, or any uncleandetestable thing—and then eats the meat of the sacrifice of the Lord’speace offerings, that person shall be cut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].’ ”

22 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

23 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘You shall not eat any fat from an ox, a sheep, or a goat.

24 The fat of an animal which dies [of natural causes] and the fat of one which is torn [to pieces by a predator] may be put to any other use, but under no circumstances are you to eat it.

25 For whoever eats the fat of the animal from which an offering by fire is presented to the Lord, that person who eats shall be cut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them].

26 Moreover, you are not to eat any blood [of any kind], whether of bird or animal, in any of your dwelling places.

27 Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.’ ”

28 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

29 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the Lordshall bring his offering to the Lordfrom the sacrifice of his peace offerings.

30 With his own hands he is to bring offerings by fire to the Lord; he shall bring the fat with the breast, so that the breast may be presented as a wave offering before the Lord.

31 The priest shall offer up the fat in smoke on the altar, but the breast shall be for Aaron and his sons.

32 You shall give the right thigh to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifices of your peace offerings.

33 The son of Aaron who offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right thigh as his portion.

34 For I have taken the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering from the Israelites, from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as their perpetual portion from the Israelites.

35 ‘This is theconsecratedportion from the offerings by fire to the Lordthat was designated for Aaron and his sons on the day he presented them to serve as priests to the Lord.

36 The Lordcommanded this to be given to the priests by the Israelites on the day that He anointed them. It istheirportion perpetually throughout their generations.’ ”

37 This is the law of the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the consecration (ordination) offering, and the sacrifice of peace offerings,

38 which the Lordcommanded Moses at Mount Sinai on the day He commanded the Israelites to present their offerings to the Lord, in the Wilderness of Sinai.

The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons

1 Then the Lordspoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments [which are symbols of their office], and the anointing oil, and the bull for the sin offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread;

3 and assemble the entire congregation at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.”

4 Moses did as the Lordcommanded him, and the congregation was assembled at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting.

5 Moses said to the congregation, “This is what the Lordhas commanded us to do.”

6 Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.

7 He put the undertunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him in the robe, and put theephod (an upper vestment) on him. He tied the [skillfully woven] band of the ephod around him, with which he secured it to Aaron.

8 Moses then put the breastpiece on Aaron, and he put in the breastpiece the Urim and the Thummim [the sacred articles the high priest used when seeking God’s will concerning the nation].

9 He also put the turban on Aaron’s head, and on it, in the front, Moses placed the golden plate, the holy crown, just as the Lordhad commanded him.

10 Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them.

11 He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them.

12 Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him.

13 Next Moses brought Aaron’s sons forward, put undertunics on them, belted them with sashes, and bound caps on them, just as the Lordhad commanded Moses.

14 Then he brought the bull for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull.

15 Next Moses killed it and took the blood and with his finger putsome of itaround on the horns of the altar and purified it [from sin]. Then he poured out therest of theblood at the base of the altar and consecrated it, to make atonement for it.

16 He took all the fat that was on the entrails, and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and Moses offered them up in smoke on the altar.

17 But the bull (the sin offering) and its hide, its meat, and its refuse he burned in the fire outside the camp, just as the Lordhad commanded Moses.

18 He brought the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.

19 Moses killed it and sprinkled the blood around on the altar.

20 When he had cut the ram into pieces, Moses offered up the head, the pieces, and the fat in smoke.

21 After he had washed the entrails and the legs in water, Moses offered up the whole ram in smoke on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a sweetandsoothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord, just as the Lordhad commanded Moses.

22 Then he brought the second ram, the ram of consecration (ordination), and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.

23 Moses killed it and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

24 He also brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, and the thumbs of their right hands, and the big toes of their right feet; and Moses sprinkled therest of theblood around on the altar.

25 He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh;

26 and from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord, he took one unleavened cake, a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer and put them on the fat and on the right thigh;

27 and he put allthese thingsin Aaron’s hands and his sons’ hands and presented them as a wave offering before the Lord.

28 Then Moses took these things from their hands and offered them up in smoke on the altar with the burnt offering. They were a consecration (ordination) offering for a sweetandsoothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord.

29 Moses also took the breast and presented it as a wave offering before the Lord; it was Moses’ portion of the ram of consecration (ordination), just as the Lordhad commanded Moses.

30 So Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and their garments with him; so Moses consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.

31 Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, “Boil the meat at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting and eat it there together with the bread that is in the basket of the consecration (ordination) offering, just as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’

32 And what remains of the meat and of the bread you shall burn in the fire.

33 You shall not go outside the doorway of the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration (ordination) are ended; for it will take seven days to consecrate you.

34 As has been done this day, so the Lordhas commanded to do for your atonement.

35 You shall remain day and night for seven days at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, doing what the Lord has required you to do, so that you will not die; for so I (Moses) have been commanded.”

36 So Aaron and his sons did all the things which the Lordhad commanded through Moses.

Aaron Offers Sacrifices

1 And it happened on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel;

2 and he said to Aaron, “Take a bull calf as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering, [each] without blemish, and offerbothbefore the Lord.

3 Then say to the Israelites, ‘Take a male goat as a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both one year old, without blemish, as a burnt offering,

4 and a bull and a ram as peace offerings to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with [olive] oil, for today the Lordwill appear to you.’ ”

5 So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and all the congregation approached and stood before the Lord.

6 Moses said, “This is the thing which the Lordhas commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lordmay appear to you.”

7 Moses said to Aaron, “Approach the altar and present your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and for the people; and present the offering of the people and make atonement for them, just as the Lordhas commanded.”

8 So Aaron approached the altar and killed the calf as the sin offering, which wasdesignatedfor himself.

9 The sons of Aaron presented the blood to him; he dipped his finger in the blood and putsome of iton the horns of the altar, and poured out therest of theblood at the altar’s base;

10 but the fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver from the sin offering he offered up in smoke on the altar, just as the Lordhad commanded Moses.

11 And Aaron burned the meat and the hide in the fire outside the camp.

12 Then he killed the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons handed the blood to him and he sprinkled it around on the altar.

13 They brought the burnt offering to him piece by piece, with the head, and Aaron offered them up in smoke on the altar.

14 He also washed the entrails and the legs, and offered them up in smoke with the burnt offering on the altar.

15 Then Aaron presented the people’s offering. He took the goat for the sin offering of the people, and killed it and offered it for sin, ashe didthe first.

16 He also presented the burnt offering and offered it according to the ordinance.

17 Next Aaron presented the grain offering and took a handful of it and offered it up in smoke on the altar in addition to the burnt offering of the morning.

18 He also killed the bull and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings which was for the people; and Aaron’s sons handed the blood to him and he sprinkled it around on the altar,

19 As for the portions of fat from the bull and from the ram—the fat tail, and the fat covering the internal organs, and the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver—

20 they now put the portions of fat on the breasts; and Aaron offered the fat up in smoke on the altar.

21 But the breasts and the right thigh Aaron presented as a wave offering before the Lord, just as Moses had commanded.

22 Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them, and came down [from the altar of burnt offering] after presenting the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings.

23 Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the gloryandbrilliance of the Lord[the Shekinah cloud] appeared to all the people [as promised].

24 Then fire came out from before the Lordand consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell face downward [in awe and worship].

The Sin of Nadab and Abihu

1 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective [ceremonial] censers, put fire in them, placed incense on it and offeredstrange (unauthorized, unacceptable) fire before the Lord, [an act] which He had not commanded them to do.

2 And fire came out from the presence of the Lordand devoured them, and they died before the Lord.

3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lordsaid:

‘I will be treated as holy by those who approach Me,

And before all the people I will be honored.’ ”

So Aaron, therefore, said nothing.

4 Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel who was Aaron’s uncle, and said to them, “Come here, carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary andtake themoutside the camp.”

5 So they came forward and carried them, still in their undertunics, outside the camp, as Moses had said.

6 Then Moses said to Aaron and to his [younger] sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do notuncover your headsnorlet your hair hang loose nor tear your clothes [as expressions of mourning], so that you will not die [also] and so that He will not express His wrathandanger toward all the congregation. But your relatives, the whole house of Israel, may mourn the burning which the Lordhas brought about.

7 You shall not even go out of the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, or you will die; for the Lord’sanointing oil is upon you.” So they did [everything] according to the word of Moses.

8 Then the Lordspoke to Aaron, saying,

9 “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the Tent of Meeting, so that you will not die—it is a permanent statute throughout your generations—

10 and to make a distinctionandrecognize a difference between the holy (sacred) and the common (profane), and between the [ceremonially] unclean and the clean;

11 andyou areto teach the Israelites all the statutes which the Lordhas spoken to themthrough Moses.”

12 Then Moses said to Aaron, and to his surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering that is left over from the offerings by fire to the Lord, and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy.

13 You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your portion and your sons’ portion, from the offerings by fire to the Lord; for so I have been commanded.

14 But the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering you may eat in a clean place, you and your sons and daughters with you; for the breast and the thigh are your portion and your sons’ portion, given out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the Israelites.

15 They shall bring the thigh presented by lifting up and the breast presented by waving, along with the offerings by fire of the fat, to present as a wave offering before the Lord. This shall be yours and your sons’ with you, as your perpetual portion, just as the Lordhas commanded.”

16 But Moses diligently tried to find the goat [that had been offered] as the sin offering, and discovered that it had been burned up [as waste, not eaten]! So he was angry with Aaron’s surviving sons Eleazar and Ithamar, saying,

17 “Why did you not eat the sin offering in the holy place? For it is most holy; and God gave it to you to remove the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord.

18 Behold, its blood was not brought into the Holy Place; you certainly should have eaten the goat in the sanctuary, just as I commanded.”

19 Then Aaron said to Moses, “This very day they have [obediently] presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, but [such terrible things] as these have happened to me [and to them]; if I [and my sons] had eaten a sin offering today would it have been acceptableandpleasing in the sight of the Lord?”

20 When Moses heard that, he was satisfied.